Brushhead for power toothbrush

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a brushhead for an power toothbrush detachably attached to a handle of the power toothbrush, the handle including a vibrating drive shaft, the brushhead comprising: a main body defining a receiving cavity which is configured to receive at least a portion of the vibrating driving shaft, the main body including a cavity wall substantially surrounding the receiving cavity and an end connected to the handle, with an opening which is defined in the end of the main body in air communication with the receiving cavity, so that the vibrating driving shaft is capable of being inserted into the receiving cavity through the opening; and an engaging assembly mounted in a side wall of the main body, the engaging assembly comprising an elastic member, which is made by metal material; wherein, a recess is defined in the outer surface of the side wall, the elastic member is deformably received in the recess, the elastic member is elastically deformed by force provided from the vibrating drive shaft when the brushhead is attached to the handle of the power toothbrush.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority to Chinese PatentApplication Number 202021631331.2 filed on Aug. 7, 2020 and ChinesePatent Application Number 202120794447.6 filed on Apr. 16, 2021, in theChina National Intellectual Property Administration. The entire contentsof the above-identified application are hereby incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to the technical field of power toothbrush, andparticularly relates to a brushhead for a power toothbrush.

BACKGROUND

While living standards continue to improve, people concern more ondental health, and the use of power toothbrushes is becoming popular.

Currently, there are two types of commercially available powertoothbrushes. One is a power toothbrush rotating and vibrating bristlesby a motor, and the other is an ultrasonic power toothbrush allowinghigh-frequency vibration of the brushhead. These two types of powertoothbrushes commonly make the bristles vibrate to achieve teethcleaning. The brushhead is detachably attached to a handle of the powertoothbrush. A drive rod of the handle engages with the brushhead todrive the brush head to vibrate. Thus, there is a requirement to designa structure to transmit vibration from the drive rod to the brushhead.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Implementations of the present disclosure will now be described, by wayof embodiment, with reference to the attached figures.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a power toothbrush according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a handle of the power toothbrush shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective structural view showing a brushhead for thepower toothbrush of FIG. 1 according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the brushhead for the power toothbrushaccording to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the brushhead for the power toothbrushshown in FIG. 3 from another angle according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a pan of the brushhead shown in FIG.4 taken along a view line VI-VI according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a partial view of a main body of the brushhead shown in FIG. 3according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the brushhead for the powertoothbrush shown in FIG. 4 along a view line according to the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9 is a partial view of the main body of another embodiment of thebrushhead according to the present disclosure, and is similarly viewedas in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the brushhead shown in FIG. 9 alonga view line X-X according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an elastic member of the brushhead inFIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the elastic member shown in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a cover of the brushhead in FIG. 1according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is another perspective view of the cover shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is an exploded view of a brushhead of a second embodiment, andis similarly viewed as in FIG. 4.

FIG. 16 is a partial view of a main body shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the brushhead shown in FIG. 16along a view line XVII-XVII, and is similarly viewed as in FIG. 6.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the brushhead shown in FIG. 16along a view line XVIII-XVIII, and is similarly viewed as in FIG. 8.

FIG. 19 is a front view of an elastic member shown in FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among thedifferent figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. Inaddition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide athorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein.However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the artthat the exemplary embodiments described herein may be practiced withoutthese specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, andcomponents have not been described in detail so as not to obscure therelated relevant feature being described. Also, the description is notto be considered as limiting the scope of the exemplary embodimentsdescribed herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and theproportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustratedetails and features of the present disclosure.

The term “comprising” when utilized, means “including, but notnecessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusionor membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and thelike. The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way oflimitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which likereferences indicate similar elements. It should be noted that referencesto “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily tothe same embodiment, and such references may mean “at least one”.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a power toothbrush 300 comprises ahandle 200 and a brushhead 100. The brushhead 100 is detachably attachedto the handle 200 of the power toothbrush 300. The handle 200 comprisesa housing 210 and a vibrating drive shaft 250 extending out of thehandle 200. A motor (not shown), a control board (not shown), and abattery (not shown) are received in the housing 210, with one end of thevibrating drive shaft 250 connected to the motor. At least part of thevibrating drive shaft is inserted into the brushhead 100 when thebrushhead 100 attached to the handle 200. The vibrating drive shaft 250comprises a first metal portion 220, a second metal portion 230 and afixing portion 240. The first metal portion 220, the second metalportion 230 and the fixing portion 240 are inserted into the brushhead100.

First Embodiment

In the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 3 through FIG. 6, thebrushhead 100 comprises a main body 10 and an engaging assembly 20. Theengaging assembly 20 is received in the main body 10 and engages withthe vibrating drive shaft 250. An outer surface of the main body 10 isfurther provided with a recess 12 for receiving the engaging assembly20.

The main body 10 is provided with a receiving cavity 31 which isconfigured to receive at least a portion of the vibrating driving shaft250. An opening 11 is defined in the end 101 of the main body 10, theopening 11 extends in a first direction X′, and the opening 11 isreceive at least a part of the vibrating drive shaft 250, The firstdirection X′ is the extension direction of the vibrating drive shaft 250after the vibrating drive shaft 250 is installed into the main body 10.The opening 11 is in air communication with the receiving cavity 31, sothat the at least a portion of the vibrating driving shaft 250 may bereceived in the receiving cavity 31 after being inserted through theopening 11.

The engaging assembly 20 comprises an elastic member 40 received in therecess 12 of the main body 10, and a cover 50 covering the recess 12.The elastic member 40 extends in the first direction X′ and presses atleast a part of the vibrating drive shaft 250 in the second directionY′. In this way, the main body 10 is firmly connected to at least a partof the vibrating drive shaft 250. The second direction Y′ is a directionfrom the outer surface 102, from which the recess 12 is defined, towardsan interior of the main body 10. In other embodiments, the elasticmember 40 may also abut at least a part of the vibrating drive shaft 250in other directions perpendicular to the first direction X′, as long asthe vibrating drive shaft 250 can be firmly connected to the main body10 by the elastic member 40.

In this way, the recess 12 for receiving the engaging assembly 20 isdefined in the outer surface 102. On the one hand, the main body 10 canbe firmly connected to the handle 200 by the elastic member 40 abut thevibrating drive shaft 250, and vibration of the brushhead 100 byvibration of the handle 200 is achieved.

Referring to FIG. 3, the main body 10 comprises a bristle carrier 110, aneck portion 120 and an insertion portion 130. The bristle carrier 110and the insertion portion 130 are respectively located at two ends ofthe neck portion 120. The bristle carrier 110 is provided with aplurality of bristle bundles 111 to clean teeth and oral cavities. Thebristle carrier 110 may be of any known structure, which is notdescribed herein again.

In the present disclosure, the neck portion 120 has an elongatedrod-shaped structure, which is approximately a rectangularparallelepiped shape, and the insertion portion 130 has an approximatelytruncated conical shape. In other embodiments, the neck portion 120 mayalso be approximately cylindrical, and the insertion portion 130 mayalso have other shapes, and the present disclosure does not specificallylimit the shapes thereof.

The neck portion 120 comprises a first surface 1201, the insertionportion 130 comprises a second surface 131, and the recess 12 isprovided at a junction of the first surface 1201 and the second surface131.

The main body 10 is made of ABS plastic, PP plastic or POM plastic. Inother embodiments, the main body 10 may also be made of other plasticmaterials or other non-plastic material, but are not limited to theexamples provided in the present disclosure. Using the above materialswill increase the safety and the elasticity of the main body 10.

Further with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the opening 11 comprises afirst opening 112 and a second opening 113. The receiving cavity 31 andthe second opening 113 are respectively located at two ends of the firstopening 112, the second opening 113 is located at an end of theinsertion portion 130 close to the handle 200. The first opening 112 andthe second opening 113 are in air communication and respectively receivethe second metal portion 230 and the fixing portion 240 of the handle200.

In the present disclosure, the second metal portion 230 does not contactan inner surface 114 of the first opening 112 and the fixing portion 240does not contact an inner surface 115 of the second opening 113 of thevibrating drive shaft 250 to prevent the vibration of the brush head 100driven by the vibrating drive shaft 250 from being affected.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, the main body 10 comprises a cavity wall 32and an abutment wall 33 forming the receiving cavity 31. At least a partof the elastic member 40 abuts the abutment wall 33. When the brushhead100 is in an assembled state, the abutment wall 33 abuts the first metalpart 220 of the vibrating drive shaft 250 under the elastic force of theelastic member 40.

In the present disclosure, the first metal portion 220 is provided witha pattern 221, and the abutment wall 33 abuts the pattern 221, whichenhances friction between the vibrating drive shaft 250 and thebrushhead 100 so as to increase a connection therebetween.

Further with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the abutment wall 33comprises a first wall surface 331 and a second wall surface 332disposed opposite to each other. The first wall surface 331 is a surfaceof the abutment wall 33 facing the receiving cavity 31, and is convexlyprovided with a convex portion 333. The convex portion 333 is configuredto abut the pattern 221 on the first metal portion 220 of the vibratingdrive shaft 250.

The convex portion 333 protrudes from the first wall surface 331 of theabutment wall 33, when elastic force of the elastic member 40 appliestoward the abutment wall 33, the abutment wall 33 may transfer theapplied elastic force to abut and further firmly lock the vibratingdrive shaft 250 to receiving cavity 31, which prevent the brushhead 100from falling off the handle 200, and vibrations of the brushhead 100 maybe further stabilized and quiet.

The second wall surface 332 is the surface of the abutment wall 33facing away from the receiving cavity 31. The second wall surface 332 isformed with a convex portion 334, at least a part of the elastic member30 abuts the concave portion 334, and the position of the convex portion333 corresponds to the position of the concave portion 334.

Specifically, at least a part of the elastic member 40 abuts the concaveportion 334 on the second wall surface 332, so that the elastic force ofthe elastic member 40 may be directed at the concave portion 334 of theabutment wall 33, and the abutment wall 33 may transfer the appliedelastic force to lock the vibrating drive shaft 250. In this way, thebrushhead 100 is prevented from falling off, and the vibrations of thebrushhead 100 may be further stabilized and quiet.

As described above, the main body 10 and the handle 200 are connected.The vibration of the brushhead 100 by vibration of the handle 200 isachieved. The structure for connecting the main body 10 and the handle200 is simple. Therefore, the brushhead 100 has a simple structure, iseasy to manufacture, and has low manufacturing cost.

With reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, in the present disclosure, the twosides of the abutment wall 33 are connected to the cavity wall 32 by anisolation layer 335, and the thickness of the isolation layer 335 issmaller than the thickness of the abutment wall 33.

The thickness of the isolation layer 335 ranges from about 0.05 to 2.0mm, for example, 0.08 mm, 0.1 mm, and 1.5 mm, etc. The length of theabutment wall 33 is about 2.0-13.5 mm, for example, 4.0 mm, 8.5 mm, and10 min, etc. The width of the abutment wall 33 is in the range of about0.5-3.0 mm, for example 0.8 mm, 1.5 mm, and 3.0 mm, etc. The thicknessof the abutment wall 33 is in the range of about 0.5-2.0 mm, forexample, 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm, and 1.5 mm, etc.

With the isolation layer 335 of the above-mentioned size providedbetween the abutment wall 33 and the cavity wall 32, the vibration ofthe abutment wall 33 is not affected, and foreign matters such as waterand dust in the recess 12 may be further prevented from entering thereceiving cavity 31.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described belowwith reference to FIG. 9 through FIG. 10. Note that, for convenience ofexplanation, the same reference signs are assigned to components havingthe same function as those described in the above-described embodiment,and description thereof is omitted.

A slit 336 is provided between the two sides of the abutment wall 33 andthe cavity wall 32.

The abutment wall 33 has flexibility thus it allows for easy removal ofthe abutment wall 33 from the molding during the manufacturing process,which may reduce the cost of the mold and thereby reduce themanufacturing cost.

In the present disclosure, with reference to FIG. 6, the cavity wall 32further comprises a first limiting wall 321 and a second limiting wall322. The first limiting wall 321 is disposed opposite to the abutmentwall 33, and the first limiting wall 321 may effectively prevent thevibrating drive shaft 250 from shaking or rotating when the first metalportion 220 of the vibrating drive shaft 250 is received in thereceiving cavity 31. The second limiting wall 322 and the first limitingwall 321 are arranged perpendicularly to prevent the vibrating driveshaft 250 from moving in the first direction X′ and the second directionY′.

The elastic member 40 is received in the cover 50 and is disposedopposite to the abutment wall 33, so as to abut the abutment wall 33along the direction of the outer surface 102 of the main body 10 towardthe receiving cavity 31. The abutment wall 33 is thereby provided withthe external force to abut the vibrating drive shaft 250.

With the elastic member 40 as described above to abut the abutment wall33, sufficient external force is applied to the abutment wall 33 toabout the vibrating drive shaft 250.

With reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, in the present disclosure, theelastic member 40 has a sheet structure, specifically, the elasticmember 40 is a curved sheet. The elastic member 40 comprises a firstcurved surface portion 41, two second curved surface portions 42, andtwo first flat surface portions 43. Two second curved surface portion 42are respectively located at both ends of the first curved surfaceportion 41, and two first flat surface portions 43 are respectivelylocated at two ends of the second curved surface portion 42 away fromthe first curved surface portion 41. The first curved surface portion 41and the second curved surface portion 42 have an arc-shape, and thefirst curved surface portion 41 is curved in a direction opposite to acurved direction of the second curved surface portion 42.

With such a shape, the elasticity of the elastic member 40 is provided,the engagement strength is provided, which prevents the brushhead 100from falling off in practical applications, maintains stable vibration,therefore reduces vibration noise, and increases durability andlongevity.

In the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 12, a radius R1 of a curvewhere the first curved surface portion 41 is located is about 2-10 mm,and a first central angle α corresponding to the first curved surfaceportion 41 is in the range of about 38-48 degrees. A radius R2 of acurve where the second curved surface portion 42 is located is about3-10 mm, and a second central angle β corresponding to the second curvedsurface portion 42 is in the range about 15-30 degrees.

By selecting the shape as described above and the two-sided first flatsurface portions 43 as supporting points, sufficient resilience may begenerated when the first curved surface portion 41 is under stress. Ifthe arc of the first curved surface portion 41 and/or the second curvedsurface portion 42 of the elastic member 40 is too large or too small,it is difficult to achieve the desired elastic force, making theengaging strength insufficient, and the brushhead 100 would fall offeasily in practical applications. In the present disclosure, the use ofthe above-mentioned elastic member 40 provides the elastic force of theelastic member 40 and the engaging strength between the brushhead 100and the vibrating drive shaft 250, which prevents the brushhead 100 fromfalling off in practical applications. The electronic toothbrush of thepresent disclosure provides stable and low-noise vibrations as well as along-life span.

Referring to FIG. 11, a range of a linear distance D1 between themutually distant ends of the two first flat surface portions 43 in theelastic member 40 ranges from about 8.0 mm to 15.0 mm, for example 10mm, 11 mm, etc. A thickness h1 of the elastic member 40 ranges fromabout 0.15 to 0.5 mm, for example, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, etc. A width w1 ofthe elastic member 40 ranges from about 1.0 to 7.0 mm, for example 3.0mm, 4.0 mm, 5.0 mm, etc.

In the present disclosure, a ratio of the distance D2 between two endsof the first curved surface portion 41 is in the range of about 20-40%,and a sum of a distance D3 of the two second curved surface portions 42,that is, the ratio of 2×D3 is in the range of about 37-57%, and a sum ofthe proportions of a distance D4 between the two plane portions 43, thatis, the proportion of 2×D4 is in the range of about 13%-33%.

In addition, a vertical distance Δh1 between the flat surface portion 43and the first curved surface portion 41 ranges from about 0.5 mm to 5.0mm.

In other embodiments, the distance between two ends of the elasticmember 40, the distance of the first curved surface portion 41, thesecond curved surface portion 42, and the flat surface portion 43 may beadjusted accordingly as required.

The first curved surface portion 41 of the elastic member 40 abuts theconcave portion 334, so as to apply an external force to the abutmentwall 33.

The convex portion 333 abuts the pattern 221 on the vibrating driveshaft 250 of the handle 200, and the first curved surface portion 41 ofthe elastic member 40 abuts the concave portion 334, the elastic forceof the elastic member 40 is directed at the concave portion 334 and thenabuts the vibrating drive shaft 250 so as to prevent the elastic forcefrom spreading in other directions.

The material of the elastic member 40 may be beryllium copper orstainless steel. In other embodiments, the elastic member 40 may also bemade of other materials, and the present disclosure does notspecifically limit the materials thereof. By selecting theabove-mentioned materials, the elastic force of the elastic member 40may be provided as well as the engaging strength between the brushhead100 and the vibrating drive shaft 250.

With reference to FIG. 10, FIG. 13, and FIG. 14, the cover 50 is engagedin the recess 12 by an engagement structure to fix the elastic member 40to the main body 10. In the present disclosure, the cover 50 has areceiving groove 51 that is used for accommodating the elastic member40, which has a sheet structure, and two ends of the sheet structure ofthe elastic member 40 abut against two ends of the receiving groove 51,which allows the elastic member 40 to generate a sufficient resilienceforce when it is subjected to force.

Referring to FIG. 10 and FIG. 14, the recess 12 comprises two oppositefirst inner walls 123, each first inner wall 123 comprises an engagingportion 124 protruding therefrom along the first direction X′, and thecover 50 comprises two first side walls 52 arranged opposite to eachother extending along the longitudinal direction thereof. Each of thefirst side walls 52 is provided with an engaging groove 521 on an outersurface of the first side wall 52, in which the engaging portion 124 isengaged. In this way, the cover 50 may be easily and firmly engaged inthe recess 12.

With reference to FIG. 14, a length L2 of the engaging groove 521 of thecover 50 ranges from about 5 mm to 13 mm, for example 7.0 mm, 10 mm,etc. A width W2 ranges from about 0.2 mm to 3.5 mm, further, the widthW2 ranges from about 0.2 to 1.5 mm, for example 0.6 mm, 1.2 mm, etc. Itis understood that the size of the engaging portion 124 matches theengaging groove 521 so as to be able to engage the engaging portion 124in the engaging groove 521.

The engaging portion 124 is located on the side of the first inner wall123 close to the cavity wall 32. Correspondingly, the engaging groove521 is located on the side of the first side wall 52 close to the cavitywall 32 in the assembled state, so that the engaging portion 124 may bemore stably engaged in the engaging groove 521.

In this way, the cover 50 may be firmly engaged in the recess 12. Thecover 50 may be fixed in the recess 12 in other ways, the presentdisclosure does not specifically limit the fixing manner.

The engaging portion 124 is in the shape of a strip (e.g., FIG. 7), andan arc transition surface is formed between the outer surfaces of theengaging portions 124 adjacent to each other, which allows for easyremoval of the engaging portion 124 from the molding during themanufacturing process and lowers molding costs. In other embodiments,the engaging portion 124 may also be any other shape that allows forease of engagement, however, is not limited to the examples provided inthe present disclosure.

Of course, in other embodiments, the first inner wall 123 may beprovided with an accommodating groove, and the first side wall 52 may beprovided with an engaging portion in the first direction X′, so that theengaging portion is engaged in the accommodating groove, and the cover50 is engaged in the recess 12.

It is understood that in other embodiments, the outer surface of thecover 50 may be provided with any other desired patterns, shapes,colors, etc., but is not limited to the examples provided in the presentdisclosure.

Furthermore, the two first inner walls 123 of the recess 12 are arrangedobliquely along the second direction Y′ and approaching each other, theangle between the first inner walls 123 and a plane along the seconddirection Y′ ranges from 3 to 5 degrees, for example, 3.5 degrees, 4degrees, etc. The first side wall 52 and the first inner wall 123 areinclined. The second direction Y′ is in a direction from an outersurface of the recess 12 provided in the main body 10 towards aninterior of the main body 10.

Referring to FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG. 13, the recess 12 furthercomprises a second inner wall 125 and a third inner wall 126 disposedoppositely, and the cover 50 further comprises a second side wall 53 anda third side wall 54 disposed oppositely. The outer surface of thesecond side wall 53 is arranged toward the second inner wall 125, theouter surface of the third side wall 54 is arranged toward the thirdinner wall 126, the second inner wall 125 and the third inner wall 126are arranged obliquely along the second direction Y′ and close to eachother. The angles between the second inner wall 125 and the plane alongthe second direction Y′ and the angle between the third inner wall 126and the plane along the second direction Y′ are both in the range of 3-5degrees, the second side wall 53 and the second inner wall 125 areinclined, and the third side wall 54 and the third inner wall 126 areinclined.

In the present disclosure, such an inclined arrangement is provided, andit may play a certain guiding role, thereby facilitating assembly,expediting the installation speed, and reducing the assembly cost. Inother embodiments, the first inner wall 123 and the second inner wall125 may not be inclined but are not limited to examples provided herein.

Referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 9, and FIG. 14, a vertical distance D5 betweenthe third inner wall 126 of the recess 12 and an end surface of theinsertion portion 130 away from the neck portion 120 is in the range of5-25 mm, for example 10 mm, 12.3 mm, and 15 mm etc. A first arc groove531 is formed on the second side wall 53, and a second arc groove 541 isformed on the third side wall 54. A first mounting portion 127 and asecond mounting portion 128 are provided at both ends of the abutmentwall 33 in the recess 12, so as to be able to stably receive the cover50 in the recess 12.

An angle between the first mounting portion 127 and the abutment wall 33and an angle between the second mounting portion 128 and the abutmentwall 33 are right angles. In other embodiments, corners formed betweenthe first mounting portion 127 and the second mounting portion 128 andthe abutment wall 33 may also be arc-shaped, which is not specificallylimited by examples provided in the present disclosure.

With reference to FIG. 14, a length L1 of the receiving groove 51 in thecover 50 is in the range of 8 to 15 mm, for example 10 mm, 11 mm, and 13mm etc. A height H1 of the first side wall 52 is in the range of 1.0 to2.0 mm, for example 1.4 mm, 1.8 mm etc.

The size of the receiving groove 51 matches the size of the elasticmember 40, which is not limited to the examples provided herein. Thedimensions of the cover 50 and the recess 12 may be adjusted.

In the present disclosure, the cover 50 comprises a third surface 55 anda fourth surface 56 as shown in FIG. 13. With reference to FIG. 3, inthe assembled state, the third surface 55 is on the same surface as thefirst surface 1201, and the fourth surface 56 is on the same surface asthe second surface 131. Thus, the outer surface of the cover 50 canmatch the outer surface of the main body 10 without affecting theoverall appearance of the brushhead 100.

The receiving cavity 31 is provided in the neck portion 120 and theinsertion portion 130, and the abutment wall 33 and the recess 12 aresymmetrical with respect to a plane 70 of a boundary line 60 between theneck portion 120 and the insertion portion 130.

The recess 12 for receiving the engaging assembly 20 is provided on theside surface of the main body 10, and the cover 50 is engaged in therecess 12, so that the overall appearance of the main body 10 is notaffected, and the stability of the connection between the main body 10and the handle 200 can be ensured.

When assembling the brushhead 100 of the power toothbrush 300, theelastic member 40 is first placed in the receiving groove 51 of thecover 50, and then the cover 50 is engaged in the recess 12.

The brushhead 100 provided by the present disclosure comprises the mainbody 10 that is provided with a receiving cavity 31 along the firstdirection X, and the receiving cavity 31 receives at least a part of thevibrating drive shaft 250. The main body 10 comprises the cavity wall 32and the abutment wall 33 for forming the receiving cavity 31. When thebrushhead 100 is in the assembled state, the abutment wall 33 abuts atleast a part of the vibrating drive shaft 250. The elastic member 40,which is arranged opposite to the abutment wall 33 so as to abut theabutment wall 33 along the direction of the outer surface of the cavitywall 32 toward the inner surface thereof to provide the abutment wall 33with the external force to abut the vibrating drive shaft 250.

The brushhead 100 provided by the present disclosure abuts the abutmentwall 33 through the elastic member 40, which may provide the abutmentwall 33 with the external force to abut the vibrating drive shaft 250.In this way, the main body 10 and the handle 200 are connected, and thevibration of the brushhead 100 by vibration of the handle 200 isachieved. The structure for connecting the main body 10 and the handle200 is simple, and no additional connecting pieces are required.Therefore, the brushhead 100 has a simple structure, is easy tomanufacture, and has low manufacturing costs.

In addition, the brushhead 100 of the present disclosure is directlyattached to the handle 200 of the power toothbrush 300. In this way,only the connection between the elastic member 40 and the main body 10,and the connection between the brushhead 100 and the handle 200 needs tobe considered during the assembly process, so that any offset betweenthe brushhead 100 and the handle 200 can be effectively prevented, andthe stability of the power toothbrush 300 during use can be ensured, andthe appearance effect is good.

Second Embodiment

Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 15 through FIG. 18. In addition, forconvenience of description, components having the same functions asthose described in the above-described embodiments are denoted by thesame reference numerals, and the description thereof will not berepeated.

With reference to FIG. 15 through FIG. 16, the structure of thebrushhead 100A of the second embodiment is different from the structureof the brushhead 100 of the first embodiment, and will be describedlater.

The brushhead 100A comprises a main body 10A and an engaging assembly20A, and the engaging assembly 20A is received in the main body 10A.

The engaging assembly 20A comprises an elastic member 40A and a cover50A. The main body 10A defines a receiving cavity 31 configured toreceive at least a portion of the vibrating driving shaft 250. The mainbody 10A comprises a cavity wall 32 substantially surrounding thereceiving cavity 31 and an end 101 connected to the handle 200, with anopening 11 defined in the end 101 of the main body 10A beingcommunicating with the receiving cavity 31, so that the vibratingdriving shaft 250 is capable of being inserted into the receiving cavity31 through the opening 11. The engaging assembly 20A is mounted in aside wall 105 of the main body 10A, and the engaging assembly 20Acomprises an elastic member 40A, which is made by metal material. Arecess 12 is defined in the outer surface 102 of the side wall 105, andthe elastic member 40A is deformable and received in the recess 12. Theelastic member 40A is elastically deformed by force of the vibratingdrive shaft 250 when the brushhead 100A is attached to the handle 200 ofthe power toothbrush 300, so as to apply a force to the vibrating driveshaft in a direction which is perpendicular to the extending directionof the vibrating driving shaft 250. Of course, in other embodiments, theelastic member 40A may also be made of other materials, which is notlimited herein.

In the present disclosure, the recess 12 is in air communication withthe receiving cavity 31, and at least a part of the elastic member 40Aextends into the receiving cavity 31 and directly contact the vibratingdrive shaft 250. Further, the elastic member 40A directly contact thefirst metal portion 220 of the vibrating drive shaft 250. The firstmetal part 220 is provided with a pattern 221, and the elastic member40A directly abuts on the pattern 221 to connect the vibrating driveshaft 250 with the brushhead 100A.

In the present disclosure, the recess 12 is integrally formed with themain body 10A, and the recess 12 is defined by a bottom 1201 and a wall1202 extending from the bottom 1201. A hole 1203 is defined in thebottom 1201 of the recess 12 so as to communicating the recess 12 withthe receiving cavity 31.

With reference to FIG. 17 through FIG. 19, the elastic member 40Acomprises a contacting portion 44, at least one elastic portion 45 andat least one fastened portion 46. The contacting portion 44 is used forcontacting the vibrating drive shaft 250. At least one elastic portion45 is used for applying the force to the vibrating drive shaft 250 in adirection which is perpendicular to the extending direction of thevibrating driving shaft 250. At least one fastened portion 46 is usedfor fastening the elastic member in the recess 12. At least a portion ofthe contacting portion 44 is in a planar shape for contacting thevibrating driving shaft 250.

In the present disclosure, the elastic member 40A comprises a contactingportion 44, two elastic portion 45, and two fastened portion 46. The twoelastic portion 45 are respectively located at two ends of thecontacting portion 44. The two fastened portion 46 are located at twoends of the elastic portion 45, respectively. In the present disclosure,at least a portion of the contacting portion 44 is in a planar shape forcontacting the vibrating driving shaft 250. Of course, in otherembodiments, the contacting portion 44 may also be in an arc shape,which is not limited herein. The elastic member 40A is sandwichedbetween the bottom 1201 of the recess 12 and the cover 50A while thecontacting portion 44 extending from the hole 1203.

It can be understood that by selecting such a shape, a sufficientresilience force is generated when the two elastic portion 45 aresubjected to force by taking the two fastened portion 46 on both sidesas a support point, thereby ensuring the engagement force, preventingthe brushhead 100A from falling off in practical applications, andstably maintaining vibration, and low noise during vibration, strongdurability and long service life.

Further, the vertical distance Δh2 between the second flat portion 46and the contacting portion 44 of the elastic member 40A ranges fromabout 0.2 mm to 5.0 mm, for example, 1.5 mm, 2.1 mm, and 2.6 mm, etc.

The contacting portion 44 of the elastic member 40A directly abuts thepattern 221 on the first metal portion 220 of the vibrating drive shaft250.

In one embodiment, the elastic member 40A comprises a metal body, and athin film 47 is formed on the metal body, so as to prevent the elasticmember 40A from directly contacting the vibrating drive shaft 250,thereby effectively preventing noise and other situations. Of course,the thin film 47 may also be omitted, and the thin film 47 may be formedonly on the surface of the elastic member 40 which contacts thevibrating drive shaft 250, or may be formed on the entire surface of theelastic member 40, which is not limited herein. The material of the thinfilm 47 may be a material such as a wear-resistant plastic or rubberoil, which is not limited herein. The thin film 47 may be formed on thesurface of the elastic member 40A by spraying or chemical vapordeposition, which is not limited herein.

In the present disclosure, the engaging assembly 20A further comprises acover 50A which engages with the cavity wall 32 of the main body 10A andcovers the recess 12. A receiving groove 51 is defined in an innersurface of the cover 50A, and the elastic member 40A is limited in thereceiving groove 51.

The cover 50A is fixed in the recess 12 by a snap-fit structure or anultrasonic welding technique. In the present disclosure, the cover 50Ais fixed in the recess 12 by an ultrasonic welding technique. Withreference to FIG. 15 and FIG. 18, the cover 50A comprises two first sidewalls 52 disposed opposite to each other extending along thelongitudinal direction thereof. Before being fixed in the recess 12 bythe ultrasonic welding technology, a connecting portion 522 is providedat one end of each first side wall 52 away from the outer surface of thecover 50A, and the connecting portion 522 has a thinner thickness thanother areas, so that an ultrasonic line (not shown) is formed betweenthe connecting portion 522 and other areas. After the cover 50A is fixedin the recess 12 by the ultrasonic welding technology, the connectingportion 522 and a part of the main body 10A are welded together to forma welding area 523, thereby firmly connecting the cover 50A and the mainbody 10A.

It can be understood that the connecting portion 522 is provided on thefirst sidewall 52 of the cover 50A. A connecting portion 522 is providedat one end of each first side wall 52 away from the outer surface of thecover 50A. The connecting portion 522 has a thinner thickness than otherareas. In this way, the welding of the cover 50 and the main body 10Acan be achieved easier and more efficient during the ultrasonic weldingprocess, and providing sufficient space for welding with at least a partof the main body 10A. In addition, the cover 50A is fixed in the recess12 by the ultrasonic welding technology, which is simple in structureand more stable in connectivity.

According to the present disclosure, since the elastic member 40Adirectly abuts the pattern 221 of the vibrating drive shaft 250, theelastic force of the elastic member 40A can concentrate and directly acton the pattern 221, the main body 10A and the handle 200 can be firmlyconnected, and vibration of the brushhead 100A by vibration of thehandle 200 is achieved. The structure for connecting the main body 10Aand the handle 200 is simple, and therefore, the structure of thebrushhead 100A is simple and easy to manufacture, and the productioncost is low.

In addition, the brushhead 100A of the present disclosure is directlyattached to the handle 200 of the power toothbrush 300. In this way,only the connection between the brushhead 100A and the handle 200 needsto be considered during the assembly process, thereby effectivelypreventing any offset between the brushhead 100A and the handle 200, andfurther ensuring the stability of the power toothbrush 300 during use,and the appearance effect is good.

Other Embodiments

In the first embodiment, although the cover 50 is fixed in the recess 12by the snap fit structure, the cover 50 may be fixed and welded by anultrasonic welding technique. And although the elastic member 40comprises the first curved portion 41, the second curved portion 42, andthe flat portion 43 in the first embodiment, the elastic member 40A inthe second embodiment may be employed.

In the second embodiment, although the elastic member 40A comprises thecontacting portion 44, the elastic portion 45, and the fastened portion46, the elastic member 40 in the first embodiment may be employed.

Even though information and advantages of the present exemplaryembodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, togetherwith details of the structures and functions of the present exemplaryembodiments, the disclosure is only for illustrative purposes. Changesmay be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, andarrangement of parts within the principles of the present exemplaryembodiments to the full extent indicated by the plain meaning of theterms in which the appended claims are expressed.

An embodiment of the present disclosure has the following features:

-   (1) A brushhead for an power toothbrush detachably attached to a    handle of the power toothbrush, the handle including a vibrating    drive shaft, the brushhead comprising:-   a main body defining a receiving cavity which is configured to    receive at least a portion of the vibrating driving shaft, the main    body including a cavity wall substantially surrounding the receiving    cavity and an end connected to the handle, with an opening which is    defined in the end of the main body in air communication with the    receiving cavity, so that the vibrating driving shaft is capable of    being inserted into the receiving cavity through the opening; and-   an engaging assembly mounted in a side wall of the main body, the    engaging assembly comprising an elastic member, which is made by    metal material;-   wherein, a recess is defined in the outer surface of the side wall,    the elastic member is deformably received in the recess,-   the elastic member is elastically deformed by force provided from    the vibrating drive shaft when the brushhead is attached to the    handle of the power toothbrush.

(2) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (1), therecess is in air communication with the receiving cavity, at least apart of the elastic member extends into the receiving cavity anddirectly contact the vibrating drive shaft.

(3) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (1), Theelastic member comprises a metal body, and a thin film is formed on themetal body.

(4) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (1), theelastic member comprises a contacting portion for contacting thevibrating drive shaft, at least one elastic portion for applying a forceto the vibrating drive shaft in a direction which is perpendicular tothe extending direction of the vibrating driving shaft.

(5) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (4), at leasta portion of the contacting portion is in a planar shape for contactingthe vibrating driving shaft.

(6) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (4), thevertical distance between the flat portion and the contacting portion ofthe elastic member is in a range of 0.2 mm to 5.0 mm.

(7) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (1), theengaging assembly further comprises a cover which engages with thecavity wall of the main body and covers the recess.

(8) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (7), areceiving groove is defined in an inner surface of the cover, and theelastic member is limited in the receiving groove.

(9) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (7), thecover is mounted to the main body by a snap-fit structure.

(10) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (7), thecover is mounted to the main body by ultrasonic welding.

(11) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (7), therecess is integrally formed with the main body, and the recess isdefined by a bottom and a wall extending from the bottom, a hole isdefined in the bottom of the recess for communicating the recess and thereceiving cavity.

(12) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (11), theelastic member is sandwiched between the bottom of the recess and thecover while the contacting portion extending from the hole.

(13) In the brushhead for the power toothbrush according to (1), theelastic member is made by metal material.

What is claimed is:
 1. A brushhead configured for a power toothbrushdetachably attached to a handle of the power toothbrush, the handleincluding a vibrating drive shaft, the brushhead comprising: a main bodycomprising a receiving cavity configured to receive at least a portionof the vibrating driving shaft a cavity wall substantially surroundingthe receiving cavity, an end of the main body being configured to beconnected to the handle, and a first opening in the end of the main bodyin air communication with the receiving cavity, so that the vibratingdriving shaft is-insertable into the receiving cavity through the firstopening, and an interior wall disposed in a space between a center axisand an outer surface of the main body; and an engaging assembly mountedat a side wall of the main body, the engaging assembly comprising anelastic member; the elastic member comprising at least one fastenedportion and a contacting portion spaced from and offset from thefastened portion, the fastened portion engaged on the interior wall, thecontacting portion configured for facing towards an end of the drivingshaft and receiving vibrations from the vibrating drive shaft when thebrushhead is attached to the handle of the power toothbrush, wherein arecess is defined in the space between the center axis and the outersurface of the main body, and the elastic member is received in therecess, the main body further comprises a cover engaged with asurrounding wall of the recess and covering the recess, the fastenedportion is engaged on a bottom surface of the recess, the elastic memberis sandwiched between the bottom surface of the recess and the cover. 2.The brushhead according to claim 1, wherein in the assembled state, thecontacting portion abuts on at least part of the vibrating driving shaftaway from a housing of the handle.
 3. The brushhead according to claim1, wherein the at least one fastened portion comprises a first and asecond fastened portions, the first and the second fastened portionsextend along a direction that the main body receives the vibratingdriving shaft.
 4. The brushhead according to claim 1, wherein the recessis in air communication with the receiving cavity, and the contactingportion extends into the receiving cavity and directly contacts thevibrating drive shaft.
 5. The brushhead according to claim 1, whereinthe recess comprises a second opening on an outer surface of the sidewall.
 6. The brushhead according to claim 1, wherein the interior wallis formed in the cover.
 7. The brushhead according to claim 6, wherein areceiving groove is formed in the cover, and the elastic member is inthe receiving groove.
 8. The brushhead according to claim 1, wherein theelastic member comprises a two-layered structure of a metal body and athin film on the metal body.
 9. The brushhead according to claim 1,wherein a vertical distance between the fastened portion and thecontacting portion of the elastic member is in a range of 0.2 mm to 5.0mm.
 10. The brushhead according to claim 1, wherein the elastic memberis metallic.
 11. A brushhead configured for a power toothbrushdetachably attached to a handle of the power toothbrush, the handleincluding a metal shaft, the brushhead comprising: a main body defininga receiving cavity configured to receive at least a portion of thevibrating driving shaft, the main body comprising a cavity wallsubstantially surrounding the receiving cavity; an end of the main bodybeing configured to be connected to the handle; and an opening in theend of the main body and in air communication with the receiving cavity,so that the vibrating driving shaft is insertable into the receivingcavity through the opening; and an engaging assembly mounted in a sidewall of the main body, the engaging assembly comprising an elasticmember configured for facing towards the end of the driving shaft andreceiving vibrations from the vibrating drive shaft when the brushheadis attached to the handle of the power toothbrush; wherein a recess isdefined in the side wall of the main body and receives the elasticmember, the recess is integrally formed with the main body, and definedby a bottom and a side portion extending from the bottom, and a hole isdefined in the bottom of the recess, the hole communicates with each ofthe recess and the receiving cavity.